Gyan the Hero As Ghana Beat Algeria Muhammed Aamer
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SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015 The lure of LA for the NFL — mirage or ‘must do’? LOS ANGELES: Like a shimmering desert mirage, Rams announced plans to build an NFL venue in David Carter, executive director of the USC “Stan Kroenke seems to be developing a coher- the prospect of a National Football League (NFL) suburban Los Angeles, the first time an existing (University of Southern California) Sports Business ent plan for potentially moving a professional team team returning to the Los Angeles area has tanta- team owner has controlled a site in the area that is Institute, agreed. “Los Angeles already has a well- to L.A.,” said Durbin. “In the past, the plans have lised fans in Southern California for two decades large enough for a modern stadium and parking. known and regarded identity as a so-called ‘Big involved developing a new team or building a stadi- without coming to fruition. Whether or not this latest proposal proves to be League’ city,” Carter told Reuters. “So while the addi- um in hopes of luring a team to LA. Since the Rams left Los Angeles for St. Louis and successful, perhaps the most burning question to tion of an NFL team would reinforce this, it isn’t “Even AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group), who the Raiders moved back to Oakland, both departing be asked is: does Los Angeles, the world’s entertain- required to maintain the city as a global hub.” had a seemingly endless stream of money to throw before the start of the 1995 season, there have been ment capital that already boasts two successful col- at this, couldn’t get the job done. One of many chal- more than a dozen proposals for the NFL to return lege football teams, really need the NFL? LA SUPER BOWL DROUGHT lenges remains working with LA’s City Council and to the nation’s second-largest market. “Los Angeles has never needed an NFL team,” A Super Bowl has never been played in a region the taxes in LA County ... rather daunting.” Each and every time, though, the follow-through Daniel Durbin, Director of the USC Annenberg that lacked an NFL franchise and the league’s show- In early 2011, AEG announced a $700-million has been lacking as bold promises, high hopes and Institute of Sports, Media and Society, told Reuters. piece was last staged in the Los Angeles area in deal for the naming rights to a potential football plenty of behind-the-scenes intrigue have given “LA has lost none of its international cache over 1993 when the Dallas Cowboys routed the Buffalo stadium in downtown Los Angeles-Farmers Field. way to missed deadlines and abandoned plans. the last 20 years in spite of losing two NFL teams Bills 52-17 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Last October, the LA City Council extended AEG’s With the Super Bowl set to be played between almost at once. LA remains the media capital of the Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s announcement on deadline by six months to attract an NFL team. the defending champion Seattle Seahawks and New world. Jan. 5 that he has teamed up with Stockbridge “The city has routinely been used as a threat to England Patriots in Glendale, Arizona on Feb. 1, “The NFL has always needed LA far more than LA Capital Group, which owns the 238-acre (96- negotiate a favorable deal (for other teams),” Carter speculation about an NFL team possibly moving to has ever needed the NFL. LA will always have the hectare) Hollywood Park site in Inglewood, to build said in an opinion piece for the USC Sports Business Los Angeles has escalated in recent weeks. eyes of the world on it, whether or not it has an NFL an 80,000-seat football stadium could be an NFL Institute. “Los Angeles needs to remain wary of get- Earlier this month, the owner of the St. Louis team.” game changer. ting played.”— Reuters FIFA: New sponsors ready to replace old LONDON: FIFA have rejected suggestions that major few years, is still a name sponsors want to be associat- sponsors were cutting their ties with the organisation ed with. Damian Collins, the British MP and the guid- because it was a “toxic brand”, saying yesterday that ing light behind the pressure group New FIFA Now they were in advanced negotiations with new spon- which was launched in Brussels on Wednesday, said sors eager to replace the old. he believed sponsors were cutting ties as a result of Britain’s Daily Telegraph revealed on Friday that the scandals and controversies that continually sur- three major sponsors, Continental, Castrol and round FIFA. Johnson & Johnson, were not renewing their con- “FIFA is a toxic brand,” Collins was quoted as saying tracts with world soccer’s governing body. Emirates in the Daily Telegraph. “I think that’s why companies Airlines and Sony announced last year that they were who care about their reputation don’t want to be con- also severing their ties with FIFA. sidered with it.” Sponsors bring in at least $1.5 billion But FIFA’s marketing director Thierry Weil told in revenue over each four-year cycle. Castrol had been Reuters on Friday that those companies contracts a World Cup sponsor since 2008, Continental Tyres with FIFA were always due to expire at the end of last since 2010 and Johnson & Johnson signed a deal for a year and new ones were negotiating to take their single cycle in 2011. place. “Rotations at the end of a sponsorship cycle are Meanwhile the sportswear company SKINS, whose commonplace in the sports industry and have contin- chairman Jamie Fuller was a delegate at the launch of uously occurred since the commercialisation of the New FIFA Now, launched a light-hearted “non-spon- FIFA World Cup began,” Weil said. sorship” relationship with the governing body. In a “It is natural that as brands’ strategies evolve they statement yesterday the company said: “The non- reassess their sponsorship properties. The contracts multi-million pound, announcement allows the com- were always planned to run until the end of 2014. pany to highlight unshared brand values and con- “As in previous FIFA World Cup cycles, we are now firms SKINS’ contempt for an organisation which has in advanced negotiations with a number of compa- been constantly shrouded in allegations of corruption nies related to sponsorship agreements in all three of and controversy, yet is potentially preparing to re- our categories. elect its President Sepp Blatter for an unprecedented fifth term in office. TOXIC BRAND “This anti-FIFA stance is intended to be fun and But not everyone is convinced that FIFA, who have engaging but it carries a very serious message in sup- been buffeted by one crisis after another over the last port of newfifanow.org.”— Reuters MONGOMO: Ghanaís forward Asamoah Gyan heads the ball in front of Algeriaís forward Ishak Belfodil (back) during the 2015 African Cup of Nations Group C football match. — AFP Gyan the hero as Ghana beat Algeria Muhammed Aamer Banned Aamer set MONGOMO: The returning Asamoah Gyan struck a dramatic the first half in particular a scrappy affair marred by crunching stoppage-time winner as Ghana kickstarted their Africa Cup of challenges. Andre Ayew was caught above the ankle from one Nations campaign with a 1-0 Group C victory against Algeria in high tackle, while Algeria star Yacine Brahimi was himself the for first-class return Mongomo yesterday. victim of a bruising interception in midfield. Gyan missed his side’s opening 2-1 defeat to Senegal on The Black Stars sought to take the game to their opponents KARACHI: Disgraced Pakistan paceman to relax certain conditions of Aamer’s ban last Monday after contracting a mild bout of malaria, but he was after the restart, and Jordan Ayew dribbled into the box from Mohammad Aamer could return to first-class year. A final decision on Aamer’s appeal will be brought back into the starting line-up by coach Avram Grant the left only for his final shot to lack power and cause Rais cricket as early as next month after a relaxation of taken in ICC Board meeting in Dubai next week. A for a must-win encounter against the Algerians and snatched Mbolhi in goal few problems. Harrison Afful then dug out a the conditions of his ban for spot-fixing, an official PCB spokesman confirmed Aamer’s potential all three points in the second minute of injury time. cross from the right which was headed across goal and wide by said yesterday. return. “It is most likely that Aamer will get His goal lit up what had been a dire contest on a bobbly sur- Gyan at the near post, before Jordan Ayew flicked a driven ball Aamer, 22, was banned for five years along reprieve to play domestic cricket,” said the face and allowed Ghana to move level with Algeria and Senegal from his brother Andre just over from close range. with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif in a spot spokesman Agha Akber. on three points in the group before the Lions of Teranga face Meanwhile, Algeria took 66 minutes to really threaten, fixing case in England in 2010, and the trio were PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan last week said pointless South Africa later. Sofiane Feghouli breaking into the Ghana box from the left and jailed by a UK court in 2011. Aamer will be monitored in first-class cricket Along with the return of talisman Gyan, the only other drilling a shot across goal, only for the ball to flash wide of the The paceman was interviewed in Lahore Friday before returning to international cricket.